• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2010

Objectives : This study investigated the differences between the psychiatric characteristics of minor juvenile offenders and normal adolescents as well as differences in psychiatric symptoms after a six month protective disposition. Further, the current study aimed at determining psychiatric screening methods for evaluating delinquent adolescents. Methods : The Latent Delinquency Questionnaire (LDQ), the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), the Reynolds Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ), the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Inventory (SCI), and the Korean Youth Self Report (K-YSR) were administered to 134 normal adolescents (114 males) and 109 minor offenders (97 males) aged 12 to 16 years. After six months, 46 offenders (all males) completed the RCMAS, CDI, SIQ, and SCI again. Results : Adolescents with minor offenses had more delinquent, aggressive behavior and externalizing behavior problems, but were significantly less depressive, anxious, or suicidal than normal controls. Further, recidivists had more anxiety, depression, and delinquent behavior than non-recidivists. Minor offenders reported that their anxiety and depressive mood decreased after six months of protective disposition. Conclusion : Adolescents with minor offenses had more delinquent, aggressive behavior and externalizing behavior problems suggesting that psychiatric screening tools for minor offenders should measure disruptive behavior disorder.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.68 no.2
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• pp.131-160
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• 2016

In this study, we analyzed determination of punishment of victimizers presented in sentencing(81 plaintiffs, 95 sentencing) for 55 cases involving child maltreatment fatalities between 2001 and 2015. The results showed that about 40% of main victimizers were imposed relatively minor punishment such as probation or imprisonment for less than 3 years. Judgments that deviated from lower limit comprised large proportion in connection with compliance with standards for statutory punishment and punishment determination. The elements of punishment determination, such as earnest rearing of child, psychological pain arising from death of child, sense of guilt, motivation that can be considered, were found to have a significant influence on mitigation of punishment although such elements could be judged differently, depending on perception or subjective tendency of judges towards child abuse. Even abetters in a position to prevent death of child were imposed minor punishment mostly by probation or monetary penalty. This study presented the need to reconsider the circumstances of punishment determination which has been conventionally mentioned in cases involving child maltreatment fatalities, such as first offender, accidental crime, person with parental rights, fosters, agreement with family of the deceased, etc. Moreover, this study suggested the need to reinforce child abuse prevention training for law enforcement officers and to revamp standards for determining punishment unique to the cases of child abuse in the future.